Method and apparatus for heating stills



Oct. 11, 1932. w. GENSECKE' 1,382,552

.- METH QD AND APPARATUS FOR HEATING STILLS Filed May 1a. 1928 Patented Oct. 11, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILHELM GENSECKE, 0F HOMBURG, NEAR FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY,

ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN LURGI CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HEATING STILLS Application filed May 18, 1928, Serial No. 278,818, and in Germany May 27, 1927.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for heating indirectly with steam stills in which high boiling substances, such as fatty acids, whose boiling point rises considerably in the course of the distillation, are distilled.

The heating of stills, in which high-boiling substances such as fatty acids, are to be distilled, generally is done by direct flames. It has also been proposed, to heat the stills by hotwater produced in a special boiler, which is heatedseparately. Finally it is obvious, to heat the stills with steam. This steam has however to be produced in a special hi h pressure boiler, in order to obtain a su ciently hot steam. The pressure of the boilers normally used in the art is about 12 atmospheres and the corresponding temperature of the steam is at about 190 0., whereas stills often must be heated to far higher temperatures, such as for example up to about 2509 C., when fatty acids are tobe distilled. Y 4

The direct heating of stills has disadvantages. It is then not easy to regulate the temperature in the still, and localsuperheatings of the material to be distilled may often take place. Also the other heating methods.

have disadvantages, which are mainly due to the fact, that a separate boiler with separate furnace has to be present.

These disadvantages are avoided according to the invention, which relates to an important simplification for heating stills. The invention is characterized by the fact, that the heating of the content of the still and the distillation of the lower boiling fractions is carried out by normal steam, coming a from a boiler and that the higher temperamatically produced by a steam-compressorture of the steam'necessa-ry for the distillation of the higher boiling fractions is autopump, arranged between the steam boiler and the heating system of the still. The first heating of the-content of the still, until dis-v .-tillation begins, may be carried out quickly,

as the steam coming from the steam conduit is present in great amounts. Also the distilling off of the lower boiling fractions may be carried out with ordinary boiler steam, in

case the distillation takes place at a high vacuum. If during the distillation the temperatures necessary exceed the temperature of the pump. The expensesfor a pump and for driving a pump compared with the expenses for providing and drlving a special heat producer are far lower.

In the annexed drawing the invention is illustrated by way of example. a is the steam-boiler, b the still, 0 the heating coil in the still. The heating of the still is started by introducing normal boiler steam through the conduit d into the heating-coil 0. The valve 6 is opened during the heating with normal boiler steam. f is a steam-compressor pump, which during the start of the operation is disconnected by valves 9 and it When the highest temperature, which may be obtained by the use of direct steam, is

reached in the still, the valves 9 and h are opened and the steam pump f is preheated and prepared for operation. 2' 1s a valve for" whereby the higher boiling fractions are distilled off. In is a safety valve, preventing the exceeding of a certain maximum, pressure and maximum temperature in the coil 0. The condensate in the heating coil 'cis caught by the separator Z and conductedaway by suitable means such as steam-pots or the'like.

sed I ent upon the out-put of the pum the temperature in the still is raised s owly,

There may also be arranged two steam pots one behind. another, the first pot being in connection with the suction tube of the steampump. One may thus introduce the amount of steam primary relieved into the heating coil by the pump.

I claim:

1. Process of distilling a high boiling mixture comprising components having diflerent boiling temperatures by indirectly heating said mixture with steam which comprises taking steam from a supply thereof at a sub: stantlally constant temperature and pressure, said temperature being below the distillation temperature of said mixture, compressing the steam whereby it is brought to a temperature suitable for the distillation and bringing the compressed steam into indirect heat transfer relation to said mixture.

2. Process of distilling materials having v difi'erent boiling temperatures by indirect heating with steam which comprises taking steam from asource of supply at substantially constant temperature and pressure, said temperature being below the distillation tem perature of said materials, compressing the steam whereby its temperature is raised to a temperature sufiicient for the distillation of said materials and bringing the compressed steam into indirect heat transfer relation to said materials.

3. An apparatus comprising a steam boiler, a still, heating means in said still for heating the same indirectly with steam, a steam conduit connecting said boiler with said heating means, a steam compressor whose suction side is connected to'the steam boiler and whose pressure side is connected to said heating means, means to connect and disconnect said steam conduit with said heating means and means to-connect and disconnect said steam compressor with said heating means. a

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature,

VVILHELM GENSEGKE. 

